Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated All the fiends of hell in Books
Feb 13, 2024
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all the fiends of hell
By Adam L.G. Nevill
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The red night of bells heralds global catastrophe. Annihilation on a biblical scale.
Seeing the morning is no blessing. The handful of scattered survivors are confronted by blood-red skies and an infestation of predatory horrors that never originated on earth. An occupying force intent on erasing the remnants of animal life from the planet.
Across the deserted landscapes of England, bereft of infrastructure and society, the overlooked can either hide or try to outrun the infernal hunting terrors. Until a rumour emerges claiming that the sea may offer an escape.
Ordinary, unexceptional, directionless Karl, is one of the few who made it through the first night. In the company of two orphans, he flees south. But only into horrifying revelations and greater peril, where a transformed world and expanding race of ravening creatures await. Driven to the end of the country and himself, he must overcome alien and human malevolence and act in ways that were unthinkable mere days before.
I did not put this down! Another brilliant novel from the mind of Adam Nevill. I was on edge the whole time completely invested in the story and the characters. This brought about one of those situations I think we have all thought about and how we would survive. Your heart is fully pumping constantly at the thought of these creatures. Absolutely brilliant!!! I’ll certainly be concerned next time I see the sky red!
The Secret Diaries of Charles Ignatius Sancho
8.0
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MEET CHARLES IGNATIUS SANCHO: HIS EXTRAORDINARY STORY, HIDDEN FOR THREE HUNDRED YEARS, IS ABOUT TO...
Historical fiction Georgian England Slavery
A Royal Affair
8.0
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More goes wrong than could be imagined when Iris Sparks and Gwendolyn Bainbridge of The Right Sort...
Murder at an English Séance
9.0
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n post–World War I England, foul play at a suspicious séance provokes the delightfully mismatched...
Shock and Paw
7.0
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The eighth installment in a charming cozy mystery series set on an island off the New England coast...
ClareR (6247 KP) rated Captive Queen: The Decrypted History of Mary Queen of Scots in Books
Jun 14, 2025
Captive Queen explains a lot of Mary’s life and also tells of how she got to the point of her imprisonment. So much information was gleaned from the encrypted letters that she sent to, and received from, her supporters. When they were decrypted, after their discovery in a French archive, they answered a lot of questions.
Jade Scott uses this information to paint a really interesting picture of Mary’s captivity, and just how involved she was in the various plots to release her and put her on the English throne. I mean, who can blame her?! She was imprisoned in some awful places - regardless of the fact that she was in castles or stately homes.
I rather enjoyed the little fictional chapter headers. They made it feel more personal, and ideal for people like me who don’t always enjoy dry, academic historical writing. This is absolutely not that - I whizzed through this book, thoroughly enjoying it.
So, if you enjoy history and want to find out more about Mary, Queen of Scots, you may well enjoy this too.
Beyond the Dark Oceans
8.0
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A family united, a family divided… In 1906, the Huntingford family leaves England behind,...
Historical Fiction Family History World War I
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Magic Lessons: The Prequel to Practical Magic in Books
Feb 13, 2022
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Magic Lessons (practical Magic book 1 )
By Alice Hoffman
In this “ bewitching” (The New York Times Book Review) novel that traces a centuries-old curse to its source, beloved author Alice Hoffman unveils the story of Maria Owens, accused of witchcraft in Salem, and matriarch of a line of the amazing Owens women and men featured in Practical Magic and The Rules of Magic.
Where does the story of the Owens bloodline begin? With Maria Owens, in the 1600s, when she’s abandoned in a snowy field in rural England as a baby. Under the care of Hannah Owens, Maria learns about the “Nameless Arts.” Hannah recognizes that Maria has a gift and she teaches the girl all she knows. It is here that she learns her first important lesson: Always love someone who will love you back.
When Maria is abandoned by the man who has declared his love for her, she follows him to Salem, Massachusetts. Here she invokes the curse that will haunt her family. And it’s here that she learns the rules of magic and the lesson that she will carry with her for the rest of her life. Love is the only thing that matters.
Magic Lessons is a “heartbreaking and heart-healing” (BookPage) celebration of life and love and a showcase of Alice Hoffman’s masterful storytelling.
It was ok. I struggled to keep my focus in some parts as it didn’t seem necessary but I ploughed through. Hopefully I’ll enjoy Practical magic more as I loved the film.
Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2585 KP) rated Murder on the Home Front in Books
May 4, 2023
It was great to be back in summer 1940 with Billie and Peter. While most of the book is written from Billie’s third person point of view, we get some scenes from Peter’s, and they help flesh out the characters and plot wonderfully. I was hooked the entire way through the story, although I did wonder where it was going a bit at first. Once the body turned up, things were full speed ahead until we reached the end. There is a strong sub-plot that is unfortunately too real and should not have been acceptable then or now. I appreciated how it was handled. The overall mystery is something that could only be told in England during World War II, and it helped bring details of that time in history to life for me. If you enjoy historical mysteries, you need to pick it up.
The Patient
7.0
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The Silent Patient by way of Stephen King: Parker, a young, overconfident psychiatrist new to his...